Sherwood High
by Berserker Nightwitch
Summary: Jonathan and Robert Loxley are half brothers, and the outcasts of the school. Marian Leaford is the head cheerleader. When they are assigned to a group project, the jocks are upset at how close Robin and Marian are getting… Complete!
1. Prologue

Title: Sherwood High

Chapter Title: Prologue

Summary: Jonathan and Robert Loxley are half brothers, and the outcasts of the school. Marian Leaford is the head cheerleader. When they are assigned to a group project, the jocks are upset at how close Robin and Marian are getting...

Warnings/Notes: This is based mainly on the Robin of Sherwood version of Robin Hood, though I have altered, added, or granted new importance to characters. Oh, and I have nothing against either jocks or cheerleaders, I'm doing this based on stereotypes only. I know many people who fall into the previous categories, and they are nice people.

§ § §

Another punch connected solidly with the slender boy's cheek. The small brown-haired head snapped backwards and the fist started for another swing. A solid wall caught it halfway through. John Loxley stood over the slumped form of his little brother, glaring menacingly at the football player a scant two inches shorter than his own six feet and five inches.

Before he could retaliate on behalf of the smaller boy, John was kicked in the back. He fell forward, startled. Robin jumped up to help his brother, his green eyes wide with adrenaline and no small amount of trepidation. Before long, the brothers were being crushed and beaten by the twelve oversized athletes. Robin was about to black out when he felt the youth above him get pulled off. His eyes opened blurrily to see four new boys fighting his attackers.

"You okay, Robby?" John asked, leaning over his brother protectively. Robin nodded, and managed to keep from smiling at the childhood nickname. John only ever used it now when he was worried. When John saw the nod, he jumped up and helped even the odds a little. Despite being beaten less than a minute ago, he was the best fighter of the five.

"Little John!" Robin called, determined to keep his brother out of detention for one day at least. John, however, seemed not to hear him. He continued to fight with the four newcomers who, to Robin's shock, were football players and a band member, and all people who had helped to beat him up only last month.

The shortest of the football players defending the brothers picked up one of his opponents and tossed him. Unfortunately, the thrown boy managed to kick Robin in the head before he crashed into a bunch of lockers, knocking both of them out.

When he saw his little brother's head connect with the jock's foot and then the floor, Little John went into a rage. The remaining eleven attackers quickly either fled or were beaten bloody. When he was sure no one else would come near his brother, Little John bent over Robin and gathered the small body into his arms.

With his brother cradled safely in his arms, Little John turned to look at their 'rescuers'. William Scarlet and Nasir and Azeem Sarcen of the football team, and Alan Alexander Dale, who was a prominent member of the band, men's choir, and social elite stood before him. All four were bruised, but none of them was bloody.

"Thanks," Little John offered. The others nodded.

"We couldn't just let you face it yourself," Will explained. Little John nodded his acceptance, but still had to get in the last word.

"You would have less than a month ago."

Will, Nasir, Azeem, and Alan watched the giant boy walk away, his brother almost hidden from view by John's massive chest and arms.

§ § §

A/N: Well? Any comments or questions? This is just a prologue, so I'll explain the characters in the next two chapters. Please review and let me know what you think? Thanks!


	2. The Outcasts

Chapter Title: The Outcasts

Thank you **Wild Force Ranger** Congrats, you're my only reviewer for this story so far, and you're the person who made it possible for me to update any story. Feel loved! I hope you enjoy this next installation, and please don't kill me for their appearances.

¶ ¶ ¶

"Robin! If you aren't down here in five seconds I _will_ leave without you!"

Jonathan Edward Loxley, Jr. – Little John to family and friends – tapped his foot impatiently. His brown eyes – warm to some and deadly to others – were sparkling with humor as the object of all of his affections ran down the stairs.

Robert Hunter Loxley was smaller than his whole family and, at times, a klutz. He was especially accident-prone when he was being rushed. He was almost at the bottom of the stairs when his foot caught on a rumpled T-shirt and he fell. Little John watched as his younger brother's mouth opened with a small 'o' of surprise. Robin's arms went out for balance, still clutching a shoe in one hand and a half-eaten piece of toast in the other. Little John stepped forward and caught the younger boy easily. Robin grinned up at him, their faces just over a foot apart.

At nineteen, Little John looked like a darker replica of his father. Both were more than six and a half feet tall, and both were broad. However, where Little John sported brown hair so dark it was almost black and liquid brown eyes, his father had the same chocolate brown hair as Robin, and caramel-colored eyes. His wife, Dina, was only an inch shorter than her husband and son, though much thinner. Her black hair and eyes helped explain her son's coloring. Robin felt somewhat out of place at times with his scrawny (Little John said sinewy), 5'6" frame and bright, forest-green eyes.

"C'mon, Robin. If we leave now we can still freak Much out!"

"It would've been easier to get ready this morning if someone hadn't thrown his T-shirts, pants, and hair gel all over his room, my room, and the bathroom."

"How is it the gel's fault?"

"By tomorrow I'm going to have a bruise on my leg from falling into the toilet when I slipped on a glob."

"Today is not your day, is it?" Little John asked as he ruffled Robin's hair. The smaller boy scowled.

"Meaning..."

"You did just trip over a shirt..."

"That you left lying there."

"But you could have picked up..."

"I'm not your maid!" Robin almost shrieked in outrage.

"No, but you should pick stuff up out of self-preservation."

"Ooh, someone learned a big word!"

"Shut it, Midget, before I make your bangs the same length as the rest of your hair."

Robin's hair was about two inches long and usually kept in soft spikes. However, he had bangs that reached just above his shoulders. Most of the people in the school they attended, and John Loxley, Sr., told him it looked horrible and he should cut it, but Robin liked it, and it _did_ help him make a statement. Little John's hair, if it lay flat, would reach his chin, and he kept it in wild spikes sticking up all over his head.

Both boys wore dark colored shirts and black denim. Robin's shirt was little more than mesh. It was see-through, and he wore a black tank top underneath. Little John wore a dark gray shirt, much like the one Robin had just tripped over. Robin also had on black sneakers, while Little John sported heel less boots.

During their argument – known to others as fighting and them as bantering – they had been walking to Little John's car. The grey jeep was fairly old and covered in dirt. The vehicle was bought with a few years and over three thousand miles already behind it. The drive to Much Millerson's house was short, but not uneventful. Little John almost ran over an old lady at one point. Both boys were still bickering over laundry, and didn't notice until it was almost too late. Luckily she knew the Loxleys – had been their babysitter when they were small – and had a healthy sense of humor.

They got to Much's house with about two minutes to spare before class started. Little John ran up to the door and walked in, yelling for Much. His father, Matthew, was the one to answer Little John's frantic yelling.

"Little John! What's wrong?"

"We're about to be late again! If we get marked late one more time, Dad's gonna take away my car!"

"Much left about half an hour ago."

"Why?"

"Said he had a feeling it would be better for him."

"Thanks, Uncle Matthew!" Little John called as he ran back out the door. Matthew Millerson had been married to Jessa Loxley Millerson, Jonathan Sr.'s elder sister, before she died nearly ten years earlier. In honor of his late wife, and due to his own grief, Matthew had never remarried.

¶

Robin gripped the seat and dashboard tightly while Little John sped towards the school. From Much's house, it was usually a five minute drive. It was seven minutes from the Loxley house. That day, the drive took one minute and forty-seven seconds.

"If you had told me you were going to drive like that, I would've walked."

"And you would've gotten here the same time."

"Unless I walked through the forest."

Behind their house was a forest, wider than it was long. On the opposite side – in length – of the forest was Sherwood High. The school was a two-story brick building. Custodians and janitors continually sent in complaints about the leaves and dirt tracked in by students who went into the forest. Most of the high school students thought the forest was a great place to make out or hide in while ditching, but it was home to Robin, Little John, and Much.

"Ah, Mr.'s Loxley... How good of you to grace us with your presence. Do I dare ask what took you so long?"

Both Little John and Robin started their school day in Biology with Professor Fillip Tuck. The balding fat man was a close friend of theirs, and of most students. It was a well-known fact that if a student was late, all he had to do was give an excuse that entertained the professor and he would not be marked late. The excuse didn't even have to be true.

"Well," Little John drawled, "we would have been here sooner, but we got into a bit of an accident."

"Oh?" Tuck always enjoyed hearing Little John's stories, particularly if he didn't want to be marked late.

"Yes. You see, we would be on time today, except that there were three injuries while we were preparing and once we got on the road. While getting ready today, Robin was attacked by some of the gel that escaped it's tub. I had tried to catch it, but it slipped through my fingers and fell to the floor. I was about to pick it off the ground when I heard an awful roaring. When I learned that it was coming from my stomach, I made a snap decision to leave the gel where it was, after all, it would soon get lonely all by itself and crawl back into the tub. While I was eating, the gel became so aggravated by it's inability to get back to it's friends that it attacked Robin, sending him flying into a wall. By tomorrow, he'll have a bruise, a mark of his war, if you will.

"The second accident was when a rogue shirt wrapped itself around his ankles and sent him flying down the stairs. If I hadn't been there to catch him, he may have died. The third accident came because of our arguing about what caused the shirt to turn evil. While driving, I turned away from the road for a moment, and almost hit an old woman. She said that she wouldn't press charges, since she could still remember us from when we were toddlers. After that near-hit, we hurried over, but it was already too late. So you see, it's really not our fault that we're so late." Little John grinned at the stunned professor as he took a deep breath. Robin shook his head in amusement and went to his seat.

"Alright, that one was more than sufficient. Please take your seat."

"Can you believe he said all of that?" a boy near the back of the class whispered.

"I bet the shrimp told him what to say," his friend answered.

It was 'known' throughout school that John Loxley was dumb. He took third grade twice, putting him in the same class as Robin, Much, and the others. No one knew the reason he had retaken the class, but most assumed that he was too stupid to pass third grade. He was seen as the typical school bully: big, strong, and dumb. He did nothing to relieve them of their beliefs, thinking that they wouldn't believe him anyway.

¶

At lunch, they finally found Much. The black-haired boy was punching a freshman repeatedly in the face.

"Much! What are you doing? Are you trying to get expelled?"

"They don't" Punch "expel someone" Punch "for fighting!"

"Not usually, but this is your eighth fight of the month, and it's only the ninth!"

"C'mon, Much!" Little John growled as he bodily hauled the smaller boy of the freshman. Much stared up at him, his violet eyes burning in anger. Much was only an inch or so shorter than Little John, and he kept his black hair loose and stringy to his shoulders. His normal outfit consisted of a grey tank top under a denim button-up shirt whose sleeves had been ripped off and dark blue denim pants.

"He was making fun of Robin!" Much yelled, his eyes flashing in anger. The smallest boy hung his head; he hated the fact that his brother and cousin felt the need to stick up for him all the time, even if he _was_ unable to do much damage of his own.

"That's when you come get me or Tuck! Let us handle the fool!"

"I'm NOT letting him make fun of my cousin!"

Robin was the youngest of the trio by only about four months. His birthday was just before the cutoff, making him one of the three youngest students in his grade. Little John was supposed to have graduated the year before, but his second trip in third made him graduate with his family.

"I don't want anyone to make fun of him either, Much, but unless they actually come up and hit him, there's not much we can do," Little John explained, trying his hardest to calm his cousin's temper. Much was known throughout school – at least by sophomores and older – for his practically nonexistent temper. Anything could set him off; he had been enrolled in anger management classes for ten years.

Robin walked over to his family members and titled his head upward, so that he could look them in the eyes. "Thanks for all that you do for me, but it would be even worse if one of you was suspended or expelled. Please Much, just _try_ to keep your cool?"

"Fine. Let's go visit Renaldo."

"Be respectful, Millerson. At least call him Fillip."

"How is that more respectful?"

"It's his first name; not his middle name. Don't abuse our relationship with him."

"Fine. Let's go visit _Tuck_."

"That's better."

¶ ¶ ¶

A/N: Well? How was it? I tried to write more this time, and I tried to make it interesting and funny... Please review and let me know what you thought of it!


	3. The Preps

Cecily Amanda Scarlet and her brother, William Jacob Scarlet, stood side-by-side on the stone steps leading into Sherwood High, waiting for their friends. The siblings exchanged an impatient look when another five minutes went by without their friends. The two did not look much alike, though it was obvious on first glance that they were siblings.

Will was just above average height for a 17-year-old, with skin tanned from spending every available afternoon outside and dark blond hair held in a loose ponytail to his shoulders. Cecily shared her brother's complexion, but her shoulder-length hair was a pale blonde. Her pale brown eyes scanned the parking lot while her brother's grey ones closed in fatigue. Like every normal boy his age, he detested waking up for school.

After a few more minutes, two of the aforementioned friends arrived. The twins, Nasir Kareem and Azeem Dontai Sarcen, were both tall, reaching about 6'3", pale brown eyes. They also had black hair, though Azeem, the younger by ten minutes, wore his hair shaved close to his skull while Nasir let his grow out and bush around his head. The duo walked up to the Scarlets and nodded before standing on either side of Cecily.

The three males had been friends for over thirteen years, when they were four and Cecily three, and they had taken it upon themselves to protect the seemingly fragile girl. Cecily had grown out of a need for protectors, though, when she learned Karate. Now, the four of them could play-fight without worry that the youngest might be hurt badly. Cecily was also the one who helped her brother and 'protectors' pass some of their classes. The girl had skipped the 6th grade, putting her in the same grade as all of her friends.

They had gotten impatient and were about to go inside when they saw an interesting figure walk up. He had stringy, shoulder-length black hair, and black eyeliner surrounding his narrowed violet eyes. His ripped clothing seemed to suit him perfectly, and the quartet caught him wiping blood off of his knuckle.

When he saw the preps watching him, he smirked at them and threw an elaborate – and suggestive – wink at Will. He walked closer and closer to them, looking as though he was about to try to start a fight. When he reached them he brushed past without a second glance.

"Much Millerson! Tell me, when should I expect your cousins?"

"About halfway through class." Much continued to speak with the teacher for a few moments before walking away. Professor Tuck shook his head and made his way toward his classroom.

"What was that about?" Cecily asked. She, though a senior like the rest of them, did not know the relationship that Much had with her brother and friends.

"We kinda started a rumor about him a few years ago. We said he was gay, and now he does that every time he sees me."

Cecily nodded and straightened her uniform. She did not approve of her friends' habit of making fun of and picking on people, but there was not much of anything she could do. She adjusted the skirt of her cheerleading uniform again and looked out over the parking lot again. There were only three people left of their group.

Then, as if knowing that they were being thought about, Marion and Margaret Leaford walked up to the group from the staff parking lot. The cheerleading captain and co-captain were the younger cousins of the school principle, and had lived with him since their father died ten years earlier, making the girls orphans. The twin girls both wore their own cheerleading outfits, and their dark blue eyes were twinkling mischievously. Marion wore her dark red hair pulled back into a curly ponytail, while Meg's own lighter red locks hung straight to her shoulder blades. The two girls were darker than the Scarlet siblings, but not by much.

The six teens lounged on the stone steps, waiting for the last of their number to arrive. After what seemed like hours the bus pulled in, bearing the last of Sherwood High's elite. Alan Alexander Dale had blue eyes and flame-orange hair he wore in short spikes. His pale white skin looked even paler when surrounded by the tan people he hung out with.

"Alan-A-Dale! Come to join us at last?" Will joked, making the smaller boy smirk up at him.

"Of course. Hey Cecil," he greeted before kissing his girlfriend soundly, causing Will twitch in annoyance. No matter how old she got, Cecily was his little sister. When she was younger though, she had earned herself a place as one of the boys.

The six-year-old girl wanted to be one of the guys, and so had cut her waist-length hair almost as short as Azeem's. She put on some of Will's old clothes and introduced herself as Cecil. The boys thought it was fun, and had gone along with it, even after they all got into trouble.

They ran inside just before the bell rang and split up to get to their classes. Will, Alan, and Nasir all began their day with Professor Tuck. Almost ten minutes into class two people ran into the room, one out of breath and nervous-looking, and the other grinning dumbly.

"Ah, Mr.'s Loxley… How good of you to grace us with your presence. Do I dare ask what took you so long?" Tuck asked the two newcomers. Little John and Robin Loxley were the main outcasts of the school, along with their cousin, Much Millerson. Will couldn't wait to hear what excuse the midget and the ox came up with.

"Well," Little John drawled, "we would have been here sooner, but we got into a bit of an accident."

"Oh?" The professor sounded vaguely interested, and leaned against his desk in preparation for the story everyone knew was coming. Those two were almost always late.

"Yes. You see, we would be on time today, except that there were three injuries while we were preparing and once we got on the road. While getting ready today, Robin was attacked by some of the gel that escaped it's tub. I had tried to catch it, but it slipped through my fingers and fell to the floor. I was about to pick it off the ground when I heard an awful roaring. When I learned that it was coming from my stomach, I made a snap decision to leave the gel where it was, after all, it would soon get lonely all by itself and crawl back into the tub. While I was eating, the gel became so aggravated by it's inability to get back to it's friends that it attacked Robin, sending him flying into a wall. By tomorrow, he'll have a bruise, a mark of his war, if you will.

"The second accident was when a rogue shirt wrapped itself around his ankles and sent him flying down the stairs. If I hadn't been there to catch him, he may have died. The third accident came because of our arguing about what caused the shirt to turn evil. While driving, I turned away from the road for a moment, and almost hit an old woman. She said that she wouldn't press charges, since she could still remember us from when we were toddlers. After that near-hit, we hurried over, but it was already too late. So you see, it's really not our fault that we're so late." Little John grinned at the stunned professor as he took a deep breath. Robin shook his head and headed to his seat.

"Alright, that one was more than sufficient. Please take your seat."

"Can you believe he said all of that?" Alan asked Will, leaning over so that they wouldn't be heard.

"I bet the shrimp told him what to say," Will answered.

… … …

"Did you see Frank at lunch today?" Meg asked her friends later that day. Their football/cheerleading/band practice was over and they were lounging on the school bleachers. Nasir, Azeem, and Will were on the football team, the girls were all on the cheerleading squad, and Alan was part of the band and the men's choir.

"No… Why?" Alan responded.

"His face was so swollen and bruised! It looked like he got into a fight with Millerson and lost."

"That's not so unusual. Every guy in the school has been in a fight with that freak."

"But he doesn't always win!"

"And he doesn't always lose, either."

"Hey… Who's that?" Cecily suddenly broke in, pointing toward the forest. The other six looked up in time to see a very small boy getting beat up by a group of extremely large guys. The small boy started trying to run away, but the others had gotten too close for him to get far. He curled up into a tiny ball and rode out the beating. When the larger guys got bored and walked away, the small boy stood up and limped into the forest, disappearing into the shadows within seconds.

"That's the Loxley shrimp. He's always getting beat up."

"Couldn't you guys have helped him?" Cecily demanded.

"Why? Whether we do or don't Millerson and John are going to attack us tomorrow."

… … … … …

A/N: Well? What do you think of that one? The nest chapter begins all of the action. I'm not good with fight scenes, so don't expect many… Sorry.

ThanYous:

Random Person – The reason I wrote out their names is to show that they were the only ones watching (if you're commenting on the right thing…) I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks!


	4. A Typical Day

**A Typical Day**

"So we rush forward, and at the last second, just before everything is over and we die, Much lets lose with this bomb that he's been storing away for an hour. He didn't even tell me he got it!" Professor Tuck laughed at the indignant expression on Little John's face. He was one of the few people in the school who knew that the elder Loxley brother was not a fool.

Much, Little John, and Robin were sprawled in various places around the room. Much had placed eight desks together and was dozing on the makeshift bed. John was seated on a table and animatedly retelling his and Much's adventures with a video game the night before. Robin wandered around the room, staring for the hundredth time at all of the small figures and creatures kept in the jars and bottles. Tuck sat at his desk, grading papers and listening to John's tale, while also keeping an eye on Robin and Much.

Suddenly Robin hissed slightly in pain and cringed, pulling his shoulders in toward himself. John looked up, worry evident by how tense he held his body. Robin smiled apologetically at him.

"Sorry. My cheek itched."

"You should know by now not to scratch a bruised cheek."

"What can I say? I'm a slow learner."

"Rob…"

"Yeah, yeah. Hey Tuck?" The slight boy waited for Tuck's grunt of acknowledgement. "What's that?" Tuck looked up to see the teen pointing at a small jar, which was on a shelf about four inches out of Robin's reach.

"Bottled antler bladder." Robin's face screwed in a dubious expressions while he nodded slowly. He then pulled a desk over and used it to give himself the height needed to reach the bottle. "Be careful, Robin." Tuck cautioned.

John watched his brother for a few more seconds before returning to his story.

§ § §

"So what did you say to them?"

"What could I say? I just let them go in. They couldn't blame me, after all, how was I supposed to know that a giant cement truck was behind that wall?"

The vice principle laughed with the others at the mock-helpless expression on Will's face. He, the Scarlets, the Sarcens, the Leafords, and Alan were sitting on the bleachers in the band room, enjoying a lunch time free of Much Millerson's yelling. Will was about to launch into another story when a large football player ran into the room.

"Will! You, Nasir, and Azeem are needed in the main hallway, now. Come on." The trio shrugged and followed him out the door. When they reached a set of doors leading to the man hallway the fourth football player stopped and turned.

"We weren't really needed, were we?"

"Just as support. We're gonna get revenge for what those freaks did to Frank last week."

"I thought you already got it when you pounded that Loxley shrimp into the dirt."

"The next day after school Millerson and the Ox attacked again."

"What do you want us to do?"

"Hold Loxley back while we teach his cousin and brother a lesson."

"And if we decide not to?" Azeem asked, his sage-like voice intimidating even the burly football player in front of him for a few seconds.

"What? You're gonna side with them? They attacked us for no reason!" Eventually the trio gave in to the pressure and followed the rest of the football time in the direction of Professor Tuck's biology classroom.

"Where are we going?" Nasir asked quietly.

"To get the Loxleys and Millerson. They spend lunch with Tuck."

"Where did you hear that?"

"I overheard Claire telling Mike that she saw them in there when she had to ask Tuck a question about an assignment."

"Why would they hang out there, though?"

"Who knows."

§

"Hey Professor Tuck, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Mr. Jacobs. What can I help you with?"

"It's kinda…" the jock allowed himself to trail off as he glanced at the three boys lounging in the teacher's classroom. Robin had followed Much to dreamland after inspecting the antler bladder, and Little John was working on that night's homework.

"Personal?" the professor finally supplied. The jock nodded and waited to be lead out of the classroom, wondering how their plan would be accomplished if Tuck was standing in front of the door. "John, would you wake the others and wait outside while we have a chat?" the professor asked. John nodded and woke his brother and cousin, leading the groggy teens out the door. He shut the door behind him to give the duo privacy.

Nasir and Azeem held John back while the others attacked Robin and Much. John started yelling and cursing at them, alerting the teacher to trouble. Tuck also finally noticed that Jacobs had been stalling for something and acting suspicious.

"Tell me, Mr. Jacobs, what made you think it would be acceptable to lie to a teacher while three of your classmates are being beaten as we speak?"

"They attacked us first!" The teacher raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, instead heading out to stop the fight.

"Enough!" the fat professor yelled loudly, causing all of the students to freeze. "Release him," Tuck ordered Nasir and Azeem. The twins looked only too happy to be given the order, and Will reached out to help Robin to his feet.

"Don't touch him," Little John growled, moving to stand between the jocks and his family. When the other teens finally backed away a sufficient distance, John turned to check on the boys behind him. Much was already on his feet and looking ready to attack the others, even though his blood-slick face was more cut than skin. Robin was leaning against the wall, the bruise on his cheek from earlier the least of his worries. John walked over to him and began checking him over for damages.

Robin shrugged him off after a moment and faced the jocks. He didn't flinch away from them; instead they felt unable to meet his eyes. Every visible part of his slight body was covered in scratches and bruises; blood, cloth, or both covered the rest. "Why?" he finally whispered hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again, louder this time. "Why do you guys keep attacking us? What have we done to you? And don't start that crap about us starting it. You've been picking on us since we were in second grade."

When he received no answer even after several moments of silence, he finally lost his strength and began to sag. Little John was behind him a fraction of a second later, helping him stay on his feet. The trio said goodbye to Tuck and limped away, heading for the main doors instead of their next classes. Tuck rounded on the jocks still standing in front of him.

"Are you happy now? I will be taking this up with the principle, and don't expect the fact that you're the football team to exclude you from suspension or expulsion. Get to class." The boys turned and left for their classes.

A/N: Thank you _bla_, it's a pretty easy story... They're almost all outlaws in the real thing... I'm just taking the ones who seem more jock-like in my mind and making them jocks... Cecily is from the book "Outlaws of Sherwood", Azeem is from "Prince of Thieves", Nasir and Meg are from "Robin of Sherwood" ( an oldBritish TV show), and Much is from all three, but in this he's probably most like the "Outlaws of Sherwood" Much... Oh, and Guy of Gisbourne in this story is a good guy... justa little off... as you'll see soon if you keep reading... Hope that clears things up for you.


	5. School Project

"Good afternoon class," Professor Gisbourne began, staring at the drowsy teenagers. Some waved, some nodded, some mumbled something, and one person's head slammed into his desk. Gisbourne hated the two classes following lunch. Most students woke up during second period, but they all seemed to fall back to sleep when the bell ending lunch rang.

"You will be beginning a three-week long group project today," Gisbourne announced, catching some of the students' attention. "It will be worth **NINETY PERCENT** of your grade," he yelled. The rest of the class jumped and stared at him in shock. "Thank you. The project will be worth twenty percent of your grade, so I expect you to do well on it. I have already chosen your groups, so you can stop trying to sneak glances with your friends. Group one will consist of Mirabal, McLachlan, Osborne, Smith, and Collins. Group two will be Marion Leaford, W. Scarlet, N. Sarcen, A. Sarcen, and R. Loxley. Group three will have Camfie, Barry, Wick, Hobb, and McDaniel. Group four will consist of Millerson, J. Loxley, Margaret Leaford, C. Scarlet, and A. Dale. Please take the rest of the class period to work out what you will do with your group. This will be the only day you will have class time for this project, so I would suggest you work out where and when you will be meeting." He explained what was required for the project and left them to themselves.

The four groups got together to discuss the where, when, and what of their project. Most of the 'popular' people sat in the front of the class, while Robin, Little John, and Much sat in back. Robin gathered his stuff and headed over to his group, while Cecily, Meg, and Alan walked over to Little John and Much, who obviously had no intentions of moving.

"I think the first thing we need to do is decide what we're doing this project on," Will announced, taking over the group. "Does anyone have any suggestions?"

"How about the forest?" Marian suggested. "I heard that they were planning on cutting it down, but there's some activist group opposing it."

"That sounds okay. What did you have in mind for the project, though?"

"We could write the essay on which group we agree with and why, and the visual aide can be a model of the forest or something."

"I guess that could work. Is everyone else okay with that?" The others nodded. "So that takes care of the what. I think we should at least get together later today… After school. But my parents don't want anyone at the house when they're not home; that rules my place out."

"And the library will be way too crowded by that time… And it has to be inside, because I'm already starting to get sick with this weird weather."

"So why not your place, Mari?"

"Rich has a school board meeting there tonight. Nasir? Azeem?"

"We would not get anything done. Our relatives came to visit, so there are about six small children running around the house, and they always want all of the attention," Azeem answered. The four elite frowned as they went over any other places, before Will finally turned to Robin, who was staring out the window wistfully.

"Loxley?" Robin turned to Will, but didn't say anything. "I hate to ask this, but what about your place?"

"Sure."

"Okay… Do you want us to head there when practice is over, or…"

"If you wanna meet me near the bleachers when your practice is over I can lead you there."

"That works. Thanks." Will tried to smile at him, but Robin was already staring out the window again. They had the rest of the period to do nothing in, so Will decided to try for a conversation with the smaller boy. "Um… what's so interesting out there?" Robin continued looking out the window, as if he hadn't heard Will. "Loxley!"

"Wha?" Robin turned again to face Will.

"I asked you what was so interesting out there," Will repeated.

"The forest."

"Why?"

"There was a deer."

"Really?" Robin nodded. "How did you see it?"

"It was at the edges." Robin turned back to the window, feeling distinctly uncomfortable in the group of people who usually made his life miserable.

… At the same time …

"We'll be going to my house after school today to work on it," Little John announced as soon as the three others sat down.

"Why your house?" Meg asked.

"It's a large house, your cousin's got some meeting at your house today, Scarlet's not allowed to have people in her house, and Dale lives too far away for us all to get there," Much answered.

"How do you know all that?" Cecily asked.

"I spend a lot of my time in the office. All I had to do was listen to what was said around me."

"Oh… what are we going to do this project on?" Alan asked.

"I don't care," Little John answered, leaning back as far as his seat would allow him.

"The world after Starbucks has taken over?" Much suggested. Cecily, Meg, and Alan gave him incredulous looks. "What? You know they want to take over the world. Why else would there be building right across the street from each other?" The three of them shrugged and decided to go along with it.

"So what would our essay and visual be?"

"Essay would be about the effects of Starbucks taking over the world, and the visual could be getting Guy a venti upside-down caramel macchiato. Then he'll definitely pass us."

"Guy?"

"Call teachers by their last names when around jocks, Much," Little John ordered.

"Fine. We'll get _Gisbourne_ a macchiato."

"Okay… where are we going to meet? None of us knows where your house is."

"Meet me by the bleachers after school," Much told them.

… … …

Robin fidgeted slightly as he waited for the jocks to show up. When he had told Little John of their plan to meet at the Loxley house, Little John had grinned and told him that his group had too. Of course, then he asked Robin to lead both groups to their house while he and Much got all the supplies they needed. So now, Robin was sitting on the lowest bleacher, waiting for a crowd of jocks to find him. It wasn't normally high on his priority list.

"Loxley?" He heard Will call out. Robin stood up and headed around the bleachers slowly. About that same time, the seven jocks were walking around to meet him.

"Where are John and Much?" Meg asked.

"They asked me to lead all of you back to the house."

"Why?"

"They wanted to get the supplies ready." He turned to Will. "And you _can_ call me Robin." He then turned and headed towards the forest. When he got a few feet and realized no one was following him, he turned back to face them. "Are you coming or not?"

"Where are we going?"

"Mine and Little John's house…"

"Through the forest?"

"…Yeah…"

"Isn't that a long way to walk?"

"Not really. It'll be harder if we stand here talking until it gets dark, though." The jocks shrugged and stepped after him. It was still a good five minute walk through the forest to get from the school to the Loxley house, and it felt even longer to the jocks. It became obvious to them that Robin _belonged_ in the forest. He seemed to know just when and where to step to keep him dry and clean. When the jocks were ready to turn back and get their cars, Robin ducked around a tall bush and motioned them to come around. They sighed and did so, and saw a huge house in front of them.

"We're here," Robin announced, heading to the back door. He left his shoes at the doorway and walked in, waiting in the kitchen for everyone else.

"You live here?"

"Yeah… Why?"

"I always thought that this house was… empty."

"My father grew up here. His grandfather built it." When everyone was ready, Robin lead the way into the living room, where they found Little John, Much, and two sets of supplies.

"It took you guys long enough," Much grumbled when they finally walked in.

"They didn't want to go through the forest."

"Can you blame them? No one wants to go farther than five steps in."

"Only because Mom, Dad, and Jonathan made everyone believe it was haunted," Much laughed. The school elite was shocked to see the three outcasts suddenly so relaxed, at-ease, and… normal.

"Why did they do that again?" Robin asked as he left the room.

"They wanted to keep people out of it. It was their territory, and they didn't want anyone else around it."

"Greedy pigs," Robin muttered darkly as he walked back into the room, carrying ten cups of hot chocolate on a plate.

"Hey, it works for us. And you shouldn't say that kind of stuff here. Dad might hear you."

"He knows how I feel about him."

"Yes, but I'm really not in the mood to play ref tonight, and Much... really shouldn't be allowed to play ref at all."

"You hit a guy once and you're never trusted to ref again…"

"Much, you did not hit him once. You put him in the hospital."

"It was a low blow! He shouldn't have said that!"

"It was true though," Robin spoke up, effectively silencing the duo.

"It still shouldn't have been said," Little John insisted quietly. Robin sighed, and the larger group got the impression that, behind closed doors, Robin was the in charge one of the trio.

"No, it shouldn't have been, but it was. It's true, whether anyone admits or says it, or not. It doesn't bother me anymore. I don't see why it still bothers you."

"It only bothers me when someone who has no right to say anything brings it up!"

"Yeah, well…" Robin let the sentence trail off, then looked around the room. "Let's get started on this project.

… … …

A/N: Okay, this one had some actual substance to it! Yay for me! I will do my best to start writing sooner again, but I had the Senior Exhibition to deal with, and it just… blah! So please review and let me know what you think! Thankies again!

Thanks -  
**cowgirlnm-1:** Thanks for all of the reviews! It really made me want to update immediately... As you can see, I got sidetracked... I love that book... One of my faves...  
**Heather:** I know he seems a bit weak... He's kinda supposed to be when it comes to the fighting. I hope this chapter helped round him out a bit more for you. Thanks for the review!  
**PhelpsEpoe:** Thanks. I know it's a bit rushed, but I hate doing intros into characters... it's more fun for them to just be there... I'll try to slow it down a bit.


	6. Getting the Facts

The two groups had worked quietly for about an hour when they heard a car pull into the driveway beside John's jeep. Robin, Little John, and Much exchanged a look and stood up. The rest of the group stood up as well, exchanging their own set of – confused – looks when the original three began picking up their stuff. Robin noticed their confusion and began to explain as he continued to pick things up.

"Dad's home. He doesn't like a mess anywhere on the main floor when he gets home, even though this room has the most space. We're just going to the entry area of the second story."

As the ten people walked up the stairs, the jocks couldn't help but be impressed at the house. The downstairs had a living room that could pass for a four-car garage in size, a kitchen half that size, a dining room the same size as the kitchen, and the master bedroom, along with areas that looked like bedrooms-turned-hallways. Up the sweeping staircase they saw a landing-type area the same size as the kitchen and dining room, as well as four doors and a second, smaller set of stairs.

"Those stairs lead up to the attic. It doubles as a kind of computer room and library," John told them.

"I thought your great-grandfather built this place…" Will wondered out loud.

"He did," Much answered. "Then Jon's dad decided to remodel and renovate a bit."

"He's your grandfather, too," Robin pointed out. Much shrugged and grinned. The teens heard a door slam downstairs as they spread their supplies all over the landing area. They worked in silence for a little while longer. Then, John coughed slightly and sat up.

"You might as well ask," he told Meg. She looked up at him, confused. "I'm not as stupid as you think. You want to ask me a question. Ask it."

"I know you're not a dumb as you act," Meg told him. "You're work on this project so far proves that. I just… why did you repeat third grade?"

"For Robin," he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Huh?"

"People were already picking on Robin, and Much still wasn't exactly a big guy. I was. They only picked on him when I wasn't around. When I figured that out, I stopped doing any work in any of my classes. I knew that eventually I'd go to middle school, while he was still in sixth grade. Then he'd have no help all day."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

"If you remember right, your parents were planning on moving to another state. Your dad only stayed because he couldn't leave the area Julie grew up in after she was gone."

"So you purposely stayed behind?"

"Yeah. In case you hadn't guessed, I'm a little over-protective." The conversation would have gone farther, but a voice from downstairs called to Robin to get down there. As he left, Alan asked Much who they had been talking about earlier.

"You didn't really put his father in the hospital, did you?"

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

"You said…"

"Different guy. Robin got in a fight with one of our second cousins, and I got the job of playing ref. The idiot called Rob a name that I don't want to repeat, so I hit him."

"Repeatedly," John added.

"He deserved it."

"I don't know why I still put up with you!" a voice boomed from down the stairs. All nine teens looked towards the staircase. "You can't even pull C grades, Robert! John manages straight A's, and you're not even trying!"

"Would you quit comparing me to him? I'M NOT JOHN!"

"I can see that! John wouldn't pull this kind of crap!"

"That's not what you said ten years ago." The nine teens looked at each other in shock. The jocks had no idea what was going on, and Much and Little John couldn't believe that those two would go at it while there was company. Then, Jonathan Loxley, Sr. went too far.

"That was your fault, too!"

"Why, because I'm not perfect? Face it, you're not either! If you were I wouldn't be here!"

"How I wish that was the case!"

"Is that really what you want?"

"Of course! I was happy with one child! I was happy with my wife! Then _you_ came along!"

"Don't try to blame this on me! _I'm_ not the one who told you to sleep with a woman you had never met! _I'm_ not the one who then repeatedly slept with her until he learned she was pregnant! And I sure as H am NOT the one who told you to keep the child!" The people upstairs heard a loud smack, and then a whimper of pain.

"You will NOT take that tone with me, Robert! You don't know what was happening!"

"Then tell me! Come on! Tell me why I'm worth less than scum to you! Tell me why everything is my fault! Tell me WHY YOU DECIDED TO KEEP ME IF YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT ME!"

"I kept you because I cared for your mother and Dina! Olivia was dying, and her only request was that I take you in and give you my name, since you were mine! You're right. I never wanted you! The only reason I agreed to take you is because Dina wanted me to. She thought that it would be good for John to have a brother."

"I guess she was wrong then, wasn't she?" Robin asked, his voice thick with tears.

"Yes. She was," Mr. Loxley agreed stonily.

The teens all sat silently as Robin walked back up the stairs to them. The entire right side of his face was red, and already beginning to bruise. He managed to keep his tears in check, and he didn't say a word to any of them. He sat down where he had been before he was called downstairs about his grades and began working on the project again. After working in silence for a few minutes, he looked up, into Will's eyes.

"The name I was called by my cousin? The one that pisses Much off so badly every time he even thinks about it? I was called a worthless bastard and waste of space." John walked over to Robin and pulled the smaller boy into a hug. Then, when Robin had calmed down a bit, he stood up and walked down the stairs.

As his head dropped out of sight, Much hissed, "Round two. Fight."

"How DARE you say that to him!" Little John bellowed at his father.

"He deserved it! He has never been anything but a waste of space and a drain on this household!"

"He has not! If anything, he has helped us! I've talked to Mom about it! She said the two of you were close to a divorce when Robin was born! You think I don't know the story? Don't give me that crap about Robin ruining your perfect little family! I was almost a year old when Robin was born! You wanted the thrill of a life outside your wife and kid! That's the real reason you started sleeping with Ms. Huntingdon! And believe it or not, you DID love him when he was little! There is a tape in the attic that will prove it to you!"

"Don't stick up for him, John. That puts you just as at fault as he is."

"At fault for what? For being alive! For existing! When will you get it together and realize that you're killing him! You loved him once! You said so on the tape! You were holding him, and you swore to always love him! What happened to that?"

"That is ENOUGH, Jonathan!"

"Fine! But if he ever does something drastic, I swear I will come after you. If I EVER hear of him hurting himself, I will kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand that, _Dad_?" Without giving his father a chance to answer, Little John turned on his heel and marched back up the stairs. He looked around the room at the people gathered together.

"I think we'd better call it a day. Maybe we can get together again some other night?" Little John suggested. The others nodded. "Why don't you lad them back to the school, Much? Or, better yet, take my keys. If the girls sit in the guys' laps they'll all fit."

Much nodded and preceded the others out of the room. Right before she could take the first step down the stairs, Marion turned back to look at the brothers. Robin was still sitting in the same spot he had been, with his head hanging low and his arms held tightly against his body. As she watched, Little John walked over to him and sat down. He put his hand on Robin's back and pulled the smaller boy into an embrace. Marion walked down the stairs to the sound of Robin crying.

oxoxoxoxo

A/N: Most of the other chapters have really good endings, so I decided to do something different with this one. But before I get yelled at, this fight was what the rest of the story was developed around. I'm serious; this was my first idea for this fic. So please review and let me know. Please note that images can be found at in the scraps section of yoru-magi. Here's the site, with spaces between every letter/number/etc.

h t t p / y o r u – m a g i . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / g a l l e r y /

Thanks to:

cowgirlnm-1: So it did work for you? Have you ever tried an upside-downcaramel macchiato? Very much of the good... I think they're realizing it about now... Took them long enough, huh? I know it was another fast chapter, but I couldn't help it. My fingers start their little race around the keyboard and the next thing I know twenty minutes and another chapter have passed me by... Thanks for the review... And if you check out the art, bear in mind that it's kinda crappy... I drew it with a mouse...

Heather: I'm updating as soon as my back can handle this position... I have no real chair for my computer... More like my bed sitting a foot and a half away... That's part of the reason it takes so long. Sorry and I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the reviews!

bla: It's kewl... I'm just glad you're here now. I can never get too many reviews! Thanks, BTW!


	7. Special Bonding

A/N: If you want an apology for taking so long with this chapter, see the newest chapters of the other stories I just updated. Sorry, but I had a crappy combo of ingredients for dinner, and my stomach's really messed up right now. I said it before, and I'll say it again: Do NOT eat pizza when Ranch Dressing is an ingredient, even if you like Ranch Dressing… Just trust me on this one. Now, on with the story. BTW, I can't get any other way of spacing in, so this is my new way of writing in seperations.

**_Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High_**

"Hey guys… Sorry about losing it on you yesterday," Robin apologized to the social elite.

"You have no reason to apologize," Marion told him, smiling gently. "I think it's amazing that you can put up with that all of the time." Robin shot her a shocked look, so she explained. "John said something about you two not usually going at it with company over. I assumed that that meant that you get yelled at like that a lot."

"Well, you know what they say about when you assume," Robin began, smiling. "But yeah, that's a regular occurrence. Except… normally I don't yell back." Robin shrugged, smiled at the group again, and walked back over to his brother and Much.

"Wait up!" Marion called, as she and Meg ran after him. The Scarlets and Alan exchanged looks before Will grinned widely.

"Someone's got a cru-ush…" he sang quietly. The others watched as Marion hooked her arm in Robin's, and Meg immediately started up a conversation with Little John. Much then shook his head and headed over to the remaining jocks.

"You might as well join us. Those two seem head over heels for the Princess twins."

"Why sound so depressed?" Will asked. Much stared at him through black-lined violet eyes.

"My two favorite cousins are dating within the social elite. This isn't depression, it's worry. They could be seriously hurt by this."

"Ah, come on! We'll protect them." Much raised a thin eyebrow. "No, seriously! We will! Won't we, guys?" Will looked to Nasir and Azeem for confirmation. The twin brothers nodded their support, neither bothering with the energy it would take to speak.

"Fine. But if I ever hear that either of them has been injured and you did nothing, I will murder all of you, using nothing but a spoon."

"Don't you mean a knife?" Alan cut in.

"Nope. That's not painful enough. Oh, and it'll be a rusty spoon, so if the attack doesn't kill you, the infection will."

"Violent, aren't we?" Cecily joked.

"When it concerns my family, and those two in particular, yes."

From around the corner, John King, the principal's younger brother, sneered in disgust. He headed out to the football field, to see if the jocks were still over there. He smiled to himself when he saw that they were. John called them over and waited for them all to arrive before speaking.

"All of you know the Loxley brothers, right?"

"The ox and the shrimp, right?"

"That's right. I want all of you to hurt them. I don't care how. Just make sure that they are hurt."

"What'll you give us?" one of the jocks asked, not wanting to do anything, even beat up an easy target, unless there was something in it for him.

"Well, I'll be in charge of your 'punishments' if you're caught. Also, I think I can arrange to have Millerson out of the way for that time." The teenagers thought it over before agreeing. "Good. Then I want you to be in the main hallway half an hour after school lets out tomorrow. The Loxleys stay after to help Professor Tuck, and Millerson can't stay late on Thursdays."

**_Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High_**

The next day after school, the football players were in place. Little John and Robin walked out of the classroom and into the hallway. The professor had gone out the back way since it faced the faculty parking area, so the brothers were – supposedly – alone in the hallway. Three football players jumped out at John, knocking him to the ground. Another two ran for Robin, getting him in the face multiple times, as well as the stomach.

Another punch connected solidly with the slender boy's cheek. The small brown-haired head snapped backwards and the fist started for another swing. A solid wall caught it halfway through. John Loxley stood over the slumped form of his little brother, glaring menacingly at the football player a scant two inches shorter than his own six feet and five inches.

Before he could retaliate on behalf of the smaller boy, John was kicked in the back. He fell forward, startled. Robin jumped up to help his brother, his green eyes wide with adrenaline and no small amount of trepidation. Before long, the brothers were being crushed and beaten by the twelve oversized athletes. Robin was about to black out when he felt the youth above him get pulled off. His eyes opened blurrily to see four new boys fighting his attackers.

"You okay, Robby?" John asked, leaning over his brother protectively. Robin nodded, and managed to keep from smiling at the childhood nickname. John only ever used it now when he was worried. When John saw the nod, he jumped up and helped even the odds a little. Despite being beaten less than a minute ago, he was the best fighter of the five.

"Little John!" Robin called, determined to keep his brother out of detention for one day at least. John, however, seemed not to hear him. He continued to fight with the four newcomers who, to Robin's shock, were football players and a band member, and all people who had helped to beat him up only last month.

The shortest of the football players defending the brothers picked up one of his opponents and tossed him. Unfortunately, the thrown boy managed to kick Robin in the head before he crashed into a bunch of lockers, knocking both of them out.

When he saw his little brother's head connect with the jock's foot and then the floor, Little John went into a rage. The remaining eleven attackers quickly either fled or were beaten bloody. When he was sure no one else would come near his brother, Little John bent over Robin and gathered the small body into his arms.

With his brother cradled safely in his arms, Little John turned to look at their 'rescuers'. William Scarlet, and Nasir and Azeem Sarcen of the football team, and Alan Alexander Dale, who was a prominent member of the band, men's choir, and social elite stood before him. All four were bruised, but none of them was bloody.

"Thanks," Little John offered. The others nodded.

"We couldn't just let you face it yourself," Will explained. Little John nodded his acceptance, but still had to get in the last word.

"You would have less than a month ago."

Will, Nasir, Azeem, and Alan watched the giant boy walk away, his brother almost hidden from view by John's massive chest and arms.

_**Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High**_

Over the next week, Little John and Robin both limped around school, looking more like walking, talking grapes than human beings. The bruises covered almost every square inch of their bodies. Somehow, every football player aside from Will, Nasir, and Azeem came down with extreme rashes and an itching problem. They would be fine when they left for school, but the moment they were anywhere near Much, one of the Loxleys, or their new friends within the elite circle, they would begin to itch uncontrollably.

Eventually, the itching powder ran out, and Much resorted to violent means as a form of payback. Marion and Meg began dating Robin and Little John, respectively, and they got farther along in their project than anyone expected of them, including themselves.

**_Sherwood High Sherwood High Sherwood High_**

A/N: Yes, that's where I'm ending it for now. There will be one more chapter. And for those who don't remember from the prologue chapter, I have nothing against jocks or cheerleaders. While I do find some of them annoying, it is for their personality, not their place in high school hierarchy. I have had football player and cheerleader friends. There was one guy in one of my classes last year who was a football player, and he is possibly the only reason I found the desk work part of the class so fun… So no, the feelings regarding those people in this fic do not, in any way, reflect on my real feelings. I just needed a stereotype… It's been overdone, but I was having a blonde moment (yes, that is my natural color, so I can use that excuse as much as I want) and couldn't think of anything better.

Thank yous:

**cowgirlnm-1** - Thanks, and you're probably right. Cinnamon rolls for teachers always gets you on their good side... unless they're diabetic or on a diet... Then you're just screwed. I hope you liked the artwork, but like I said, it could seriously use some work... And if you want, I could probably sketch up a blue-print type thing of the house design? It'll even have beds and dressers in there, because that's just how I do it! _grin_ Just let me know!

**Anonyms** - Thank you! Your review really made my day! I know I _should_ expand my vocabulary, but then it feels like it loses something... I write alot like I talk... Whatever flows at the moment works... Thanks for the suggestion though. That chapter was actually the basis of the entire story. I was sitting in my fifth period class, and that scene just popped into my head. I formatted the rest of the story around it, so I'm glad someone liked it.

**Heather** - Thank you, and like I said to Anonyms, that fight was the reason for this story. I'm glad it was realistic enough to be touching. Thanks.

**kkcnbay55** - Thanks for the review, and it doesn't bother me at all. To tell you the truth, that was how I was hoping he'd come across for the first (most of the) chapters. I didn't plan on him playing a major role, or even being a tough character until the last chapter. That's when the Robin Hood we grew up loving will finally make his appearance. Bear in mind that he has grown up believing (and with good reason) that his father hates him. Also, living in Little John's shadow, he has never had a reason to fend for himself or even become his own person. So, to tell you the truth, I'm glad you mentioned it. It means that I'm doing something right. Stick with it a little longer, and the real Robin will come out. Thanks again!

**AlisonMarianFan** - Thanks.

**Branwen Welsh** - Yeah, I have noticed that. But since these characters are under my control for the moment, they're going to be more human than most people and stick around, because that's what I see them doing. And I'd just like to say 'WOW!' to your schedule. I just barely graduated high school ('05!), and even that was enough to screw me over in my writing. Note how long it's taken to get this up! So you're right, and I apologize for taking so long with this thing! Thanks for the review! I'm sorry! I think my brain imploded when I heard the Grad march song for the ninety-ninth time! I'm trying to get it up quick! Please be patient with me or I'll start crying all over you, and we'll do the Alice-in-Wonderland-cry-an-ocean's-worth-or-tears-and-drown-the-world thing!


	8. A New Beginning

"Please pass forward your essay assignments now," Professor Gisbourne told the class. Each of the groups passed forward their essays and made pile of paperwork on the front desks. Gisbourne walked along the front of the rows collecting paperwork. "Thank you. Now please get together with your groups so that I can get the projects easier." He walked around the class, retrieving the visual presentations. From group one he got a traffic cone signed by every member of the advanced art class, group two gave him an extremely accurate and detailed model of Sherwood Forest (thanks to the time Robin spends in the forest), group three had a collection of rocks painted like the animals in the Chinese Zodiac, and group four gave him a macchiato.

"Thank you all. As I didn't expect this to run so smoothly, you may use the rest of the class period as 'Unstructured' time." Gisbourne moved back to his desk and began grading the papers while sipping his drink.

Sherwood HighSherwood HighSherwood High

"So what do you wanna do after school?" Will asked as his face turned a violent shade of red. He was laying on two desks with his head and part of his upper body hanging off the desk, with blood rushing to his head.

"We could show off Greentree," Much suggested. He was finally beginning to accept that the Social Elite weren't all out to get him and his family. Robin and Little John looked at him to gauge how serious he was while the others looked from him to the Loxleys in confusion.

"Why don't you boys explain what Greentree is before your new friends burst," Tuck suggested. He was sitting behind his desk, grading homework packets. The newly formed 'full' group was gathered in his classroom, and seated on every available surface. Robin was sitting cross-legged on the teacher aid's desk in the back of the room. Little John was sitting in the seat at the desk, and Much was using the counters as a tightrope. Marion, Meg, and Cecily were sitting in a little clump trying to finish their homework before lunch ended. Alan was on the floor leaning against Tuck's desk and playing a lute softly. Will, Nasir, and Azeem were in another clump, and had been playing Snap until looking to the cousins for answers.

"Greentree is like a fort in Sherwood. It's where Little John, Much, and I spent most of our childhood. It's where I always went when I got sick of listening to Dad shout, Little John went there when everyone assuming he was dumb got to be too much for him, and Much…" Robin trailed off, looking at Much as if uncertain of whether or not he should continue.

"I practically moved in there after my mom died. My dad was trying to drown himself in work at that time, so it was good arrangement."

"And you guys are willing to let us… invade your sanctuary?" Marion asked.

"Well, when you word it like that…." Robin trailed off, then grinned at his new friends. "If we didn't want you to come, we would've told Much no immediately and this conversation wouldn't be happening."

Suddenly, Wil cocked his head to the side and stared at Robin, as if trying to figure him out. Robin looked down at himself then at his surroundings. "What?"

"You seem really different. More sure of yourself… Did something happen?"

"A couple things. Dina's making Dad go to therapy for his 'feelings of resentment' toward me, and I've got friends beyond my brother and cousin. Besides that, Little John and Much have been working with me more."

"More?"

"I've always been able to fight. I've just never been any good at it. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm kinda small. I don't have a lot of power in my punches or kicks, and they're sort of… teaching me ways to use that to my advantage."

"Why didn't they ever do it before?"

"I've never turned into a living grape before, so we never thought it was necessary. Much and I always thought we'd be there to protect him," Little John answered.

"While I'm glad you're all opening up, I'm going to have to kick you out," Tuck announced. "Lunch is nearly over, and I have a dentist appointment that I need to get to." Everyone said their goodbyes to Tuck and left the classroom. After school that day they met at the bleachers and the cousins lead their new friends to Greentree.

Greentree was more than a simple fort. There was a collection of about five different – roomy – tree houses all connected by thick rope bridges. The tree houses were surrounding a small, pentagon-shaped clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a small fire pit. Under one of the trees was a naturally hollowed boulder. It looked almost like an overturned bowl. Under it were camping supplies like pots, pans, and a book of matches. In the tree houses were sleeping bags, a first aid kit, changes of clothing for all three cousins, and canned foods.

"This is amazing," Meg breathed in awe as she looked around the campsite.

"We usually use the spare tree houses to store things, but you guys should feel free to use them. We can set up more in some other trees and connect them all. Oh, and feel free to come here at any time. Eventually we'll have to put up signs to show who gets which tree, but for now we can just all share everything," Robin said, his eyes sparkling at the thought of all the plans that had to be accomplished.

"Why do we need to have specific trees?"

"So no one walks in on someone else who is hiding out. We can use all of them really, but the house with your name on it will be the one you can tell other people to leave if you want to be alone, or you can leave your personal stuff in there."

"That makes sense. Thanks you guys."

"It's what friends do, right?"

"Right." And with that, Marion kissed Robin deeply. Meg smiled and leaned against John, who she had just started dating the day before.

The End

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A/N: Weak ending, I know, but that's all I could think of. As always, please review and tell me what you think.

Thank you **cowgirlnm-1** you were my only reviewer for the past chapter. Did I send you the house format? If not, let me know. I agree completely about the jock/cheerleader thing. WAY too much en masse. I plan on redoing those pictures someday. If you want to keep a lookout on that site in the gallery section, they should - hopefully - appear sometime in the next month or so. Thanks again!


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